Model-turned-actor Misha Narang has always loved travelling, but constantly switching cities for work is a different ball game. “Acting is taking me places, and that feels different,” she says.
After making her mark in Telugu cinema with films like Thellavarithe Guruvaram and Missing – Search vs Revenge, Misha makes her Kannada debut with Sarala Subbarao, directed by Manju Swaraj, opposite Ajai Rao. The retro romantic drama, produced by Lohith and set in 1970s Mysore, follows a young couple negotiating love, tradition, and personal aspirations within marriage.
“I chose Sarala Subbarao as my Kannada debut because I knew Sarala was the soul of the film. When people walk out of the theatre, they will take a part of her with them. Today, heroines don’t always get that space opposite the hero. Here, the director has balanced both leads.”
The film is adapted from a novel by celebrated writer Triveni, a detail that weighed on her. “When a film is based on a book, there is pressure. It lives on paper, and we have to make people experience it on screen while doing justice to the writer’s work.”
Sarala, she admits, changed her. “When I heard the story, I thought, why can’t I be like this girl? Playing her inspired me. It was not just a performance. It was personal.”
Working in a new language brought its own challenges. “Kannada was initially a barrier. I would fumble with words. But Manju sir had so much clarity. He never rushed me. He would say, ‘Whenever you are ready, Misha.’ He did not want to see stress on my face.” An assistant director helped her rehearse lines, but it was the director’s patience she remembers most. “He would explain everything with a smile, like I was his own child.”
Sharing her experience of working with Ajai, Misha says, “He has done 25 films, but he was ready to rehearse with me. A co-actor who helps you bring out your best is a blessing.”
To prepare for the retro setting, she watched romances from that era. “My parents, who are still romantic, gave me tips,” she smiles.
Having heard much about Kantara, she is eager to explore Kannada cinema further. “Filmmakers who watched our trailer have already approached me. I am listening to scripts. I hope acting keeps bringing me back to more Kannada films.”